MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2014 SPORTS Drama, anger and concrete as ski jump complex is built

ROSA KHUTOR: When ski jumpers arrived year and be finished in September 2011,” he for an international event at Russia’s new told Reuters. “I said this is impossible, Olympic hill complex in December 2012, because no matter how many workers you they found a construction site. put on a ski jump, they can’t work shoulder “ was very interesting because to shoulder ... you need to do things in the there was no snow, just a lot of mud and right sequence.” dirt ... we only jumped on the normal hill Amid increasing construction delays and because the big hill was not ready with the embarrassing prospect the jumps snow,” ’s might not be ready in time, Sberbank recalled in an interview with Reuters. bought out Bilalov’s interests in 2012. The RusSki Gorki jumps in the moun- Any doubts the jumps were in serious tains above Sochi should have been trouble vanished on Feb. 7, 2013, when straightforward to build yet turned into the President Vladimir Putin paid a visit. Putin, most complex of all the projects at the whose legacy depends on staging a suc- Olympics, which are expected to have cost cessful Games, glowered as nervous offi- Russia more than $50 billion. Initially prom- cials revealed the project was two and a ised for 2011, the jumps were finished two half years late and the budget had rocketed years late and went almost seven times from 1.2 billion roubles ($34 million) to 8 over budget as engineers realised the site billion. “1.2 billion turned into 8 billion? Well was highly unstable. done. You’re working well,” he said sarcasti- Two firms tried and failed to complete cally. Bilalov was fired from his Olympic the task and in 2012, Russia’s largest bank, committee position the next day and later Sberbank, stepped in. “Everyone knew that fled Russia, saying he had been poisoned. the project was suffering from significant delays and certain problems,” said Stanislav CONCRETE AND WATER Kuznetsov, deputy chairman of the board at The project he helped build will not win Sberbank. “The geology and the soil condi- any prizes for architectural beauty. tions are complicated. We as builders expe- Designers of ski jumps usually try to tuck rienced enormous difficulties during the them into hills to take advantage of the nat- construction,” he told reporters. Engineers ural contours but the RusSki Gorki complex eventually had to sink 3,600 iron piles 24 juts out from an artificial base. “There was metres into the ground and then drown the no bedrock found in the area when con- site in concrete. So what went wrong? struction started (so) all of the hill had to be elevated above the unstable terrain. The PUTIN STEPS IN amount of concrete poured into the ground KRASNAYA POLYANA: ’s makes a jump to win the gold medal in the men’s super-G at the Sochi . — AP One man who knows is Norwegian is enormous,” said Nikolai Petrov, competi- expert Torgeir Nordby, who was hired by a tion manager for the and local company in 2006 - even before Sochi Nordic Combined events. Jansrud plunders more gold won the Games - to advise them where to “It would be fair to say that two thirds of put a hill in the mountains. Nordby, who is the venue is under the ground. This was still a consultant to the complex, scouted necessary to stabilise the area.” ROSA KHUTOR: Special qualities are required to we have one and it’s a gold medal. Kjetil has works very hard, very professional coaches the area and pointed out a spot which Nordby says a complicating factor was join the elite ranks of the so-called ‘Attacking done a great job at the .” working 24 hours, a great technician. It’s not a would be ideal to minimise the winds that the decision to make the Nordic Combined Vikings’ and Kjetil Jansrud revealed them in Svindal was the man expected to lead the coincidence.” so bedevil the sport. cross-country course an integral part of the abundance to plunder more gold for Norway in Norwegian assault in Sochi after winning three While Kjus, Jansrud’s idol, paved the way for The firm started construction work but jumping complex. This meant more con- a gripping men’s Olympic super-G race yester- medals in but has had his thunder Norway to become a force in and quickly found out their exploratory probe struction and more concrete to keep the day. Just as Kjetil Andre Aamodt and , stolen by Jansrud. the Nordic disciplines it dominates with an had failed to spot an underground creek site stable. the original members, and Olympic gold in in 1994, the coun- running right beneath the proposed site. There are still challenges with under- had done before him, the bearded 28-year-old LOWER SECTION try’s latest speed merchant said Svindal drove “Probably this survey ... could have been ground water, which can be seen draining raider from Stavanger risked all as he hurtled Veteran was looking a likely win- him on. more thorough,” Nordby said dryly. They through metal pipes that pierce thick con- down a treacherous mountainside to claim ner down at the bottom when Jansrud, wearing “He’s such a great athlete and he’s been moved the planned location of the jumps crete supportive walls on the road up to the Olympic glory. bib No. 21., attacked, piling on the speed in the dominating for the last two years,” he said. “He’s slightly, only to realise the soil in the area complex. Asked whether the jumps are in Norway have now won five of the eight gold lower section of the course to slice half a second the one I fight with in training. First I’m faster, was so soft they would need to stabilise it. the right place, Nordby answered: “That’s a medals awarded in Olympic super-G, an often off the American’s time. “I didn’t have the best then he’s faster and we always try to push each The first firm quit the project and was good question.” unpredictable event producing the speeds of start but from 30 seconds down to the finish I other. replaced by a company run by Akhmed The normal and large hills are built to downhill but with white-knuckle turns thrown just risked it,” Jansrud told reporters. “Somehow when we come to the Olympics in just to make things a little more interesting. “Super-G is a really difficult race. You just get we end up on the (super-G) podium and that’s Bilalov, a vice president of the Russian modern standards and feature such innova- Jansrud got the taste for Rosa Khutor’s ter- a one-hour inspection and then have to roll at impossible to describe.” Jansrud may not be fin- Olympic Committee. tions as an automatic wind net designed to rain in last week’s downhill when he earned a it. It’s tough but I can’t say it’s too tough today ished yet either and is already looking at next Nordby — who has been on the deflect the kinds of gusts that can mar com- bronze and proved unbeatable on Sunday as a as I nailed it pretty good.” week’s . “I can let my shoulders go a International Ski Federation’s jumping hill petitions. “It is one of the best hills in the Norwegian man won the super-G at a fourth Jansrud, who underwent knee surgery last bit then,” he said. committee since 1988 — said the switch world. It has many competitive advantages consecutive Games, following Aamodt (2002, season, suffered a fright when late-starting Norway’s head coach Havard Tjorhom said a ate up valuable months and complained - it can be used year round, it can store a 2006) and more illustrious team mate Svindal American looked poised to healthy rivalry was key, as well as a determina- Bilalov had been too optimistic. large amount of water ... for making artifi- four years ago. snatch gold but finished 0.30 seconds slower tion to continue the traditions started by Kjus “I think they underestimated the time cial snow,” Kuznetsov said proudly. Nordby No wonder Norway’s watching Prime despite being quickest on all the split times. and Aamodt. “We don’t have any secrets,” he needed to build a ski jump. I said from the has a more prosaic view. “It’s working fine, Minister Erna Solberg was smiling so broadly in “It got a little too exciting there for a while said. very beginning ‘You need two years’ but he even though it doesn’t look that beautiful,” the finish area. “He’s a new idol now,” she told when Andrew was coming down,” Jansrud said. “Both Kjus and Aamodt have been a huge had promised Putin it would be built in one he said. —Reuters reporters. “My legs were jelly but I knew I had been really inspiration for both of our guys and I think both “It would have been great to have two on the quick towards the end of the run.” Axel and Kjetil have been pushing each other podium but I think we should be grateful that “This is like a fairytale but I have a team that further as well.” — Reuters

Austria under fire in Olympics medals table

men’s team ski jump SOCHI: Winter Olympics medals table yesterday (after four of four gold medal events; note men’s biathlon ROSA KHUTOR: Austria will be looking to without the women this time. 15km mass start postponed to Monday due to fog): extend their dominance in the men’s ski But Kasai and his colleagues Taku jumping team event today, but could well be Takeuchi, and Reruhi Shimizu proved toppled from their throne by in-form they were strong contenders, all finishing Gold Silver Bronze Total . within the top 13 in Saturday’s large hill indi- Germany 7 3 2 12 The alpine nation, boasting stars like vidual event. Whether double Olympic cham- Netherlands 5 5 7 17 , Gregor Schlierenzauer pion can help to a win Norway 5 3 6 14 and , go into the event hav- and pocket his third gold in Sochi, making Switzerland 5 1 1 7 ing won gold at the last two Olympics and at the first ski jumping clean sweep since Russia 4 7 5 16 every world championship since 2005. Finland’s Matti Nykanen in 1988, remains to Canada 4 6 4 14 At World Cup level however, they have be seen. “It will be difficult, really difficult struggled in the past two years. At the start of because the level is really high right now. A United States 4 4 8 16 the season, they even finished a shocking lot of teams are jumping really well. We are Poland 4 0 0 4 fifth in Klingenthal-their worst result since going to do our best and see what happens,” China 3 2 0 5 2004 — before coming back to third last Stoch said after winning his second gold on Belarus 3 0 1 4 month in , Poland. Saturday. “I really would like to have a third Sweden 2 5 2 9 Meanwhile Slovenia, assisted by World gold medal but it will be hard to win any Austria 2 4 1 7 Cup number two -already a dou- medal.” Worryingly for Austria, triple Olympic ble Olympic medallist after individual silver champion Morgenstern finished a poor 40th France 2 0 4 6 on the normal hill and bronze on the large on Saturday and failed to qualify for the final Japan 1 3 1 5 KRASNAYA POLYANA: Volunteer Omprakash Mundra carries an Indian flag during a hill-has coolly moved up to win the last three round, as did his teammate Diethart, who Czech Republic 1 2 1 4 welcome ceremony for the Indian Olympic team at the Mountain Olympic Village at World Cup races. shot to stardom earlier this year when he won Slovenia 1 1 3 5 the 2014 Winter Olympics. — AP “We will try,” Prevc vowed after taking his the prestigious . South Korea 1 1 1 3 second medal on Saturday, promising to Morgenstern suffered two serious crashes Great Britain 1 0 1 2 remain focused. “There will be no celebra- in December and January and was long Slovakia 1 0 0 1 Indian flag raised in tions, at least until today, then we will see.” uncertain for the Games. But he remained Germany should never be discounted, confident ahead of the team event: “I’m look- 0 2 3 5 with two second-place finishes this year, and ing forward to it, it is a new day, a new com- Finland 0 2 0 2 Sochi after ban lifted Japan, buoyed by veteran ’s sil- petition, with new conditions. We will see.” Latvia 0 1 2 3 ver medal on Saturday, are also in the running He and record World Cup winner Australia 0 1 1 2 SOCHI: India completed its return to the ceremony but can now carry their own for a podium finish. Schlierenzauer, who has been struggling this Croatia 0 1 0 1 Olympic family yesterday when its flag standard on Feb. 23 when the Games Winners of the mixed team event in season, were already part of the Olympic gold Kazakhstan 0 0 1 1 Lillehammer in December and at last year’s team in Vancouver 2010. The men’s ski jump- was hoisted at the Sochi Games, five days come to an end. Ukraine 0 0 1 1 after the International Olympic world championships, they will have to do ing team event kicks of tomorrow. — AFP Committee lifted its suspension on the REAL OLYMPICS South Asian nation. India had been “Well it’s like coming to the Olympics banned since December 2012 after elec- all over again so this is the real one,” said Ahn’s gold hard for tions at its Olympic association (IOA) saw luger Shiva Keshavan, who has already a corruption-tainted official voted in as competed. “Unfortunately my event is secretary general. over but you know it is important that The IOC lifted the ban on Feb. 11 fol- India is back and all of us are very happy lowing fresh elections last week, allow- about that. I hope something like this Koreans to swallow ing it to be represented at the Olympics doesn’t happen again in the future,” and bringing the total number of nations Keshavan told Reuters after the small cer- competing at Russia’s first Winter Games emony that also included a few visiting SEOUL: Seeing Viktor Ahn draped in the Russian their anger on the site. South Korean sports conducted by Gallup Korea on 1,215 adults last to 88. “Very, very emotional,” new IOA Indian fans. Two of the three athletes, flag and crying tears of joy after winning short pages and news sites lauded Ahn and lambasted November found 61 percent understood Ahn’s President N. Ramachandran, who is also including Keshavan, are currently Olympic track gold for his adopted country has prompted the KSU yesterday. “The Return of the Emperor!” decision to become a naturalised Russian. heading the World Squash Federation, scholarship holders. The world’s second an outpouring of fury in South Korea towards the proclaimed the Hankook Ilbo, “Ahn is writing his “Given his situation, the decision to give up told Reuters Television. most populous nation became the first to country’s skating union (KSU). own history,” said Sports Seoul. The Korean the citizenship of his mother country sounds like “For us after having been out of the win readmission to the Olympic family Ahn won three gold medals for South Korea at Economic daily said the storm caused by Ahn’s an unavoidable choice...” wrote 27-year-old IOC and the Olympic movement for 15 during an ongoing Games. the 2006 Games under the name Ahn gold would shake up the KSU. Angry sports fans Internet poster Will Kim. months to come back to it and to come “All the Indians are very disappointed Hyun-soo but after falling out with the KSU and took to the Internet to call for the governing South Korea has been the traditional super- back to it within two days of our elec- because you know we have had so much being left out of the team for Vancouver he body to be disbanded and for an investigation power of short track, winning 19 Olympic golds, tions, I just couldn’t believe it.” support from our own country, some turned his back on his homeland and took into the reasons behind Ahn’s departure. but so far in Sochi the team have won just one Russian nationality. silver and one bronze. The Indian delegation arrived at the people have come from so far ... and not South Korean President Park Geun-hye has ‘UNAVOIDABLE CHOICE’ After his win on Saturday, Ahn said he was ceremony at the mountain athletes’ vil- to see the flag there, just because some already ordered a government ministry to find “I am glad to see Ahn smiling but somebody right to leave Korea for the sake of his career. “I lage amid loud cheers. “When the IOC people put their personal interest before out how one of the country’s top athletes ended has got to explain why he is holding a Russian wanted to train in the best possible environment lifted our ban in the midst of an Olympic was very disappointing.” up competing for a Winter Games rival. flag,” a 32-year-old teacher was quoted as saying and I proved my decision was not wrong,” said event, it’s the first time it’s happened and “But now it’s time for a fresh start and Simmering anger over the KSU’s role in his by local media. Another wrote on Facebook he Ahn, who is regarded as one of the greatest short I am truly grateful to the IOC President I hope there is better days to come for departure, and other coaching controversies, could not belive how the KSU had “alienated an track speed skaters of all time. He also hinted Thomas Bach ... for having lifted the ban winter sports,” he said. The final athlete to boiled over with Ahn’s win in the 1,000 metres at athlete whose athletic ability is rarely seen even that he would lift the lid on the events that led within two days,” Ramachandran said. compete in Sochi is Alpine skier the Sochi Games on Saturday. in a span of 100 years.” him to leave his homeland in search of more India’s three athletes had marched Himanshu Thakur, who will take part in The KSU website was shut down overnight There has been very little animosity directed Olympic gold “I will share everything I had in under the Olympic flag at the opening the giant slalom. — Reuters due to heavy traffic as sports fans tried to vent towards Ahn since his nationality switch. A poll mind after Sochi is over,” said Ahn. — Reuters